Reversing mechanism for washing machines



C. K. WAITE REVERSING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21 1922 PIIIIIWK @cic, 23', 119 23.

C. K. WAITE REVERSING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filgd June 21.

IIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Fig-3 lFatented @ot. 23, 1923.

entree are terms CARLTON K. WAITE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO NEW LIBERTY WASHING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTN, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR WASHING- MACHINES.

Application filed June 21,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARLTON K. WAITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and a State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing Mechanism for Washing Machines; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a washing machine, and particularly to a driving mecha nism therefor. In the power washing ma chines of the type referred to it is desirable to reverse the rotation of a cylinder at cer-- tain intervals and it is very desirable to have a reversing mechanism which will accomplish this reversal with a minimum of wear and shock.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a simple and efficient reverslng mechanism for a washing machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a reversing mechanism comprising a member having a closed gear path therein which member is adapted to be driven and reversed by a pinion meshing with and traveling said path in the relative movements of the member and pinion.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to mount said pinion upon a swinging shaft and to provide means for holding the same in engagement with said gear path. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in t0 which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different Views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the washing machine showing the novel drive applied 46 thereto, a part of the latter being shown in section. I

1 Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken sub: stantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 ;and

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation of the members comprising the closed gear path and other parts shown on an enlarged scale. Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 is shown an end view of a washing machine 1922. Serial No. 569,842.

comprising frame members 1 supporting a semi-cylindrical casing 2 in which is rotatably mounted a cylinder 3 adapted to be driven in opposite directions by pinion 4: carried upon the aXiallydisposed-shaft 5, one only of saidpinions being shown.

A vertical driving shaft 6.isdisposed at one side of'the machine and driven'through a pulley 7 which is ordinarily connected to an electric or other motor and secured to a shaft geared to the shaft 6 by appropriate beveled gears enclosed in casing 8. A sleeve 9 surrounds the shaft 6 and extends between the casing 9 and the gear casing 10 so as to enclose the rotating parts. A shaft 6 has mounted thereon a beveled gear 11 adapted to be clutched to the shaft by the clutch sleeve 12 which is splined on the shaft and carries projecting pins adapted to be received in holes'in the-gear 11. The gear 11 meshes with another beveled gear 13 mounted on a shaft 14 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing bracket 15. The bracket 15 has spaced arms embracing the gears 12 and '13,, the upper one of which arms carries a sleeve 16 journaled in a bearing hub formed on the upper side of the casing 10. The other arm is journaled on a sleeve 17 screwed into a hub on the lower side of the casing 10 and having a projecting portion enclosing the sleeve 9. It will thus be seen thatthe bearing 15 is mounted for oscillation about the shaft 6. The shaft 14 has secured to its other end a pinion 18. This pinion is adapted to meshwith' the beveled gears 19. These gears are mounted on a shaft 20 carried in'bearings extending inwardly from the walls of casing 10 and are thus disposed in parallel planes and are arranged with their toothed faces toward each other. Each of the gears is pro vided with a projecting portion 21 having oppositely curved outwardly converging toothed sides forming a continuation of the toothed surfaces of the gears. These portions 21 have flat surfaces extending parallel to the plane of the gears, which surfaces are in engagement so that the teeth on one of the portions 21 form a continuation of the teeth or toothed surface on the other portion. The gears 19 thus comprise a closed endless toothed path, the main portions of which lie in parallel planes and are connected by oppositely curved portions. The gears 19 are bolted together by headed and nutted bolts 23 passing through the webs thereof and through a disk-like member 22, alsomounted for rotation on the shaft 20. The bolts23 are provided with threaded p0rtions adjacent the member 22 on Which are disposed suitable nuts for holding said member rigidly in position. This member 22 has aprojecting central portion with slightly inclined converging surfaces and the pinion18 has an inwardly projecting hub adapted to engage said surfaces.

The casing 10 is supported at one side by being bolted to the frame members of. the machine and at its other side is bolted to a bracket 24 which is bolted to the frame of the machine and also supported on the transversely extended rod 25. The gears 19 are'provided with spur teeth 26 on its .peripheral surface which mesh with the teeth on pinions 4.

In operation, when it is desired to drive the cylinder 3 the clutch 12 will be moved into engagement with gear 11. The shaft 14 and pinion 18 will thus be turned. The pinion'l8 is held in engagement with the gears 19 b the member 22 and the gears 19 and mem er 22'wil1 be turned as a unit about shaft 20. The pinion travels about the flat portion of the gears andwhen it comes to the curved portions 21 it travels upwardly on the same and continues to travel along the other member 21 on the other gear 19 and then travels around said latter gear 19 until it againencounters the members 21 when it passes upwardlyaround the same and back onto the first gear 19. It will be readily seen that as the pinion is continuously driven that it will reverse the direction of rotation Oil the members 19 as it passes across the members 21 from one ofsaid gears to the other. The rotation of the pinions 1 will thus be reversed after a certain number of rotations, saidnumber depending upon the ratio of their diameter to that of gears 19 having the spur teeth thereon. As the pinion 18 travels around the gears 19 it is supported upon the member 22, as described, and this member is provided, opposite the raised portions 21, with a segmental open space which permits the projecting hub on pinion 18 to pass therethrough as it passes from one gear 19 to the other. The reversal of the gears 19 is accomplished gradually and with a minimum of shock.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a simple and reversing mechanism and one requiring very few parts. The mechanism is quite compact and welladapted for the purpose'intended.

It will, of course, be understood that the mechanism-could be applied to other machineswhere a reversing movement is de sired and that various changes may be made in the form letails and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of applicants invention, stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed'is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a casing having parallel top and bottom walls with inwardly projecting bearings, a',shaft journaled in said bearings, a

pair of beveled gears disposed respectively a shaft on which said pinion is carried mounted to move in a plane at right angles to the plane of said gears.

2. The structure set forth in claiml, the shaft to which said pinion is secured having another gear thereon, a gear meshing with said latter gear, ashaft to which the same is secured extending at right angles to saidfirstmentionedshaft, and a bearing bracket for said; first mentioned shaft mounted for swinging movement about said second mentioned shaft.

3. The combination with the frame and cylinder of a washing machine having a shaft disposed axially of said cylinder and which, 'generally provided with driving pinions, of a driving mechanism comprising a vertical driving shaft, a beveled gear carried thereby adapted to be clutched to the shaft, a beveled gear" cngaging with said gear, a shaft to, which said last mentioned gear ,is secured, a bearing bracket in Which said shaft is journaled having projecting arms embracing said gears and mounted for swinging movement about said first mentioned shaft, a pinion carried by said second mentioned shaft, and a pair of oppositely facing gears meshing with said pinion and having oppositely curved connecting toothed portions forming a closed gearpath, means for holding said pinion in engagement wlth said gears, said gears having their peripheries formed as spur gears engagingsaid pinions onthe axially disposed shaft of said cylinder:

4. The structure set forth in claim 3, and

a gear housing enclosing all of said gears 1 and pinions and the bracket carrying said second mentioned shaft. 7

5. A. reversing-mechanism comprising a. pair of spaced parallel spur gears having beveled gears formed on their adjacent faces her, and a beveled pinion engaging said gear for more than half their extent, said beveled path to traverse the same and reverse the gears being connected by a member having rotation of said spur gears, and means for 10 oppositely curved toothed portions forming driving said beveled pinion.

Ki with said beveled gears a closed gear path, In testimony whereof I aifix my signaspur pinions engaging said spur gears and ture. driven thereby to drive an oscillating mein-' CARLTON K. WAITE. 

